Self driving car technology companies

The globally popular car-hailing app Uber has been concentrating on developing its self-driving cars department in an efficient manner. In order to achieve this motive, the company has announced the launch of the Uber AI Labs. To run self-driving cars without any mishap, it is essential to have expertise in the field of artificial intelligence. Keeping this in mind, Uber has decided to take the big step of launching its own technological lab. This lab will mainly focus on the proper development of self-driving cars to make autonomous driving a success.As Uber provides its services through a smartphone app, it is necessary for the company to be well-acquainted with the latest technology. Hence it is no surprise that the car-hailing app is focusing its attention on developing self-driving cars. For this, Uber has recently acquired an artificial intelligence startup called the Geometric Intelligence. This investment is to work on the loopholes of the self-driving car technology and launch … [Read more...] about Launch of Uber AI Labs to Focus on Self-Driving Cars

Chinese-backed startup Faraday Future hasn’t revealed much about the electric car it plans to put into production by the end of next year, but the company seems to be interested in autonomous driving. It just received approval from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to test self-driving cars on the state’s roads.Faraday, which is based in the Los Angeles area, will begin testing prototype self-driving cars on public roads later this year, according to Reuters. The company previously applied for permission to test autonomous cars in Michigan. As it stands, California and Michigan are two of a handful of states that have explicitly legalized the testing of self-driving cars, attracting companies looking to evaluate the technology while avoiding liability issues.Jan Becker, senior director of automated driving at Faraday’s tech center in San Jose, California, told Reuters in an interview that the company’s cars would have “state of the art … [Read more...] about California DMV gives Faraday Future permission to test self-driving cars

Tech titan Samsung has taken a significant step forward in its quest to compete bumper to bumper with the likes of Google’s Waymo, Uber, Tesla, and Apple in the field of self-driving technology.The Korean company has this week been greenlit to test its autonomous vehicles on public roads in its home country, a move that highlights Samsung’s increasing interest in the sector.The news comes just weeks after arch-rival Apple was granted permission to test its self-driving car technology on California roads, although it’s worth noting that to date, the Cupertino, California-based company has made no public statement about R&D work in this particular area.Samsung, meanwhile, has outright denied that it’s developing its own self-driving car but says it’s instead seeking to develop software and other technology that would improve the performance of autonomous vehicles. Indeed, Samsung sold the majority of its stake in its then-struggling … [Read more...] about Samsung steps up a gear with its self-driving car ambitions

Highlighting its goal to be a major player in the development of self-driving car technology, South Korea this week announced plans for K-City, a specially designed 88-acre site set to be the world’s largest test space for autonomous vehicles.Slated to open this fall, K-City will comprise a network of roads and junctions that will give engineers more freedom for testing their technology in road conditions that mimic real-life scenarios.K-City will be open to a slew of local tech firms — among them Samsung, SK Telecom, and Naver, as well as automakers such as Hyundai and Kia Motors — allowing them to test and develop their respective technologies, Business Korea reported.The sprawling “city” is currently under construction and is expected to include expressways, bus-only lanes, zones for autonomous parking, and other features designed to help engineers work on improving autonomous driving technologies.While Samsung recently received … [Read more...] about Self-driving cars will soon be tootling around their own ‘city’ in South Korea

Uber and Lyft have tens of thousands of drivers in the U.S. alone. The two ridesharing companies have each been in the news recently for their investments in and work with automaker partners in developing self-driving technology. The focus on autonomous vehicles begs the question, “What about the drivers?” as reported by Silicon Beat.Lyft and its investor partner General Motors are testing self-driving technology with specially equipped 2017 Chevy Bolts in San Francisco and Scottsdale, Arizona.Uber was in the news in connection with vehicle autonomy twice last week when it bought Otto, the self-driving truck technology company. Uber wanted its technology, not the trucks. Otto’s founders came from Google’s Self-Driving Car Project and other big-name tech firms.Uber also sent a wake-up call to both the ridesharing and autonomous vehicle industries with its announcement last week that it will soon start offering free trips to Uber riders in … [Read more...] about If Uber and Lyft switch to self-driving cars, what about the drivers?

Volvo is planning to take its self-driving car technology onto the streets of London next year as part of its ongoing international Drive Me research program.The Swedish automaker already has its autonomous vehicles tootling along the streets of its home city of Gothenburg, and recently announced plans to test the cars in a number of Chinese cities, too.As with the Swedish and Chinese schemes, Volvo plans to supply 100 London families with an XC90 SUV equipped with its very latest self-driving technology.The families will test the cars on regular London streets in everyday conditions, a prospect that should provide comfort to any nervous riders among the test group as the average speed on the city’s congested roads is currently a mere 14.8 mph. The trial means that whoever usually drives will be able to do other things while traveling from A to B, such as working on their laptop, reading a book, or, if they have kids, breaking up a dispute in the back.The … [Read more...] about Volvo to let families in London test its self-driving cars

There are legions of analysts predicting that self-driving cars are the future, and several carmakers and tech companies looking to make that prediction come true.Companies like Nissan and Tesla hope to have cars with limited self-driving capability out before the end of this decade, and many of today’s production cars can already brake themselves, steer themselves back into a lane, or follow traffic without human guidance.Autonomous vehicles are quickly advancing past the “how” stage, which may invite questions that are tougher than figuring out how to give a robot a driver’s license.Mercedes-Benz is among the cadre of automakers that is working on a self-driving car, and this week it took the technology to another level with the unveiling of the Future Truck 2025, a self-driving semi.The Future Truck points to a scenario where the majority of vehicles on the road are automated, but what will that be like, or will it not happen in the first place? Despite the … [Read more...] about Road Rave: Mercedes’ Future Truck and the long road to self-driving cars

While it has been rumored for some time, Google announced Sunday is has been testing self-driving cars. The company equipped six Toyota Priuses and an Audi TT with technology that enabled a vehicle to drive from Google's Mountain View, Calif., campus to its Santa Monica office. It then moved on to Hollywood Boulevard. In all, Google has sent its auto-cars more than 140,000 miles -- including along the Pacific Coast Highway and across the Golden Gate Bridge.Google notified local police of its testing program and insisted there was a clean-record driver in each vehicle ready to take over if the robot technology decided to go rogue. That may not always have been the case, though. At least one driver claims to have caught a Google car driving unmanned and posted a video on YouTube to prove it.The Google cars use video cameras, radar sensors and a laser range finder to "see" other traffic. The cars also utilize detailed maps, which Google has gathered using manned cars. Fifteen engineers … [Read more...] about Google Dabbles in Robotics With Self-Driving Cars

Connected cars and self-driving cars are two of the hottest and fastest-growing segments in the marketplace today. However, they are often confused. Connected cars are here today. Self-driving cars are not yet, but they are coming. They both mean advancements in automotive. They both use wireless networks, wireless technology, satellite technology, ground-based sensors and more. As workers, investors and customers, what can we expect in the next few years from connected and self-driving cars -- and what's coming next?A wide variety of companies -- large and small, and from many different areas -- will play an important role in this new space during the next decade. Some companies and technologies you may never hear about. Think about this like the insides of a smartphone. There are many companies that make different technologies that make these devices work -- many we don't even realize. The same is true with connected cars and self-driving cars. Connected and self-driving car … [Read more...] about ANALYST CORNER The Year of Connected and Self-Driving Cars

Apple is joining the fiercely competitive race to design self-driving cars, raising the possibility that a company that has already re-shaped culture with its iPhone may try to transform transportation, too.Ending years of speculation, Apple's late entry into a crowded field was made official Friday with the disclosure that the California Department of Motor Vehicles had awarded a permit for the company to start testing its self-driving car technology on public roads in the state.The permit covers three vehicles - all 2015 Lexus RX 450h hybrid SUVs - and six individual drivers. California law requires people to be in a self-driving car who can take control if something goes wrong.APPLE GOES MOBILE ... IN A NEW WAYApple confirmed its arrival in the self-driving car market, but wouldn't discuss its intentions. Its interest in autonomous vehicle technology, however, has long been clear.The Cupertino, California, company pointed to a statement that it issued in December. "Apple is … [Read more...] about Apple Enters Self-Driving Car Race